Lowndes County: Trails, River and Cultural History

Discover Lowndes County through its many facets: riverside trails, nature paths and a rich cultural history. In Columbus, there’s a range of experiences, from the Tennessee Williams Home to historic sites and recurring events. Deciding which of these themes you’d like to shape your stay is a good starting point for planning your trip and looking for a hotel.

Riverfront, Lake and Trails

The Columbus Riverwalk is a 2.2-mile path for walking and cycling. It starts on Main Street and follows the Tombigbee River. Amenities include two pavilions, restrooms, benches, bicycle racks and picnic tables. This makes it easy to plan both your route and places to take a break.

Other destinations offer different highlights. The Opossum Trail is 5.6 miles long; a self-guided tour introduces visitors to native plants, trees and wildlife. The trails at Plymouth Bluff extend for five miles through bottomland forest and upland mixed forests. They run through 190 acres of woodland and over the crest of a 60- to 70-foot bluff, with views of the Tombigbee’s former river channel. The varied trail lengths and nature themes offer practical guidance when planning your time outdoors.

The fossil beds at Plymouth Bluff are also notable: they contain numerous marine shell fossils. Lake Lowndes State Park is located on a 150-acre lake. At the Columbus Lock and Dam East Bank, which is in Lowndes County on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway beside Stennis Lock and Dam, there is a boat ramp and three fishing piers.

The Dewayne Hayes Recreation Area brings together several riverside activities: visitors can fish, boat, hike and explore along the riverbank. The site has 100 campsites with electric and water hookups, as well as ten primitive campsites. This information may be useful if you’d like to include activities on the water in your plans in addition to the trails.

Literature, Museums and Architectural History

The Tennessee Williams Home and Welcome Center is the first home of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams. It has been designated a National Literary Landmark. A tour of the first home is offered at the Tennessee Williams House Museum & Welcome Center, and a $5 donation is recommended. Check before your visit to confirm whether the tour is currently available.

The history of Mississippi University for Women dates back to 1884, when it was founded as The Industrial Institute and College and became the first public college for women in the United States. The historic campus has 23 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The university’s galleries house the departments of Art and Design and Music and Theatre. Institutional history, preserved campus buildings and the arts all come together in one place.

The museums also cover a range of subjects. The Florence McLeod Hazard Museum is located in the Stephen D. Lee Home and features collections and artifacts related to the American Civil War. The R.E. Hunt Museum & Cultural Center is preserved as a museum and cultural center and is designated a Mississippi Historic Landmark. The Agnes Zaiontz Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Transportation Museum and Intermodal Learning Center displays artifacts and information about rail and road transportation.

Architecture and furnishings take center stage at Annunciation Catholic Church: Father Jean Baptiste Mouton designed the original church in the Gothic Revival style, and the Jacoby stained-glass windows have been preserved. The restored church is used as a daily Mass chapel and for weddings and other special celebrations. Visitors interested in local architectural history will find a different perspective here than in museums focused on collections.

History and Events in Columbus

The Mississippi Legislature met at the Lowndes County Courthouse after Jackson fell to the Union during the American Civil War. Catfish Alley also tells a story of Columbus’s past: in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the neighborhood was a central gathering place and business district for the African American community. It was known for the smell of catfish sandwiches, which is how the neighborhood got its name.

Catfish in the Alley takes place in Columbus every spring. It serves catfish raised on Mississippi farms, along with other Southern dishes. Check the dates and details for that year’s event before your trip. The Spring Pilgrimage includes tours of numerous antebellum homes, lantern tours and horse-drawn carriage rides through the historic neighborhoods; be sure to check the current dates for this recurring event as well.

The Friendship Cemetery offers further historical connections. Rows of marble markers identify the final resting place of 2,194 Confederate soldiers. One marker commemorates Mrs. Canant as the only Confederate nurse officially recognized by the United States government. An annual candlelight event takes place at the cemetery, where students perform dramatic monologues about people buried there. Twelve Gables is linked to another chapter in the history of Memorial Day: in 1866, local women met there to plan the ceremony to decorate the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers at Friendship Cemetery. This ceremony led to the creation of Memorial Day.

When choosing a hotel, you might first consider whether nature trails and the water, or museums, architecture and history, will play a bigger role in your trip. This helps you find the right focus for your stay in Lowndes County without reducing its many destinations to a single experience.

Discover more destinations: Columbus, Scott County, Lee, Hancock County, Claiborne, Pontotoc County, Lafayette, Yazoo County.

For the broader travel overview: Mississippi.